Editor's note: This is part four of Cathie Roy's diary, a seven-part series on the recent Pulling Together canoe voyage designed to bring together First Nations, youth and police forces.
Day four is another light paddling day. We're only going to Saltery Bay. But this small jaunt provides us with the only tense moments on the water of the entire journey.
The water is a bit choppy with the odd big wave coming to keep us on our toes. We paddle leisurely and after a while we raft together, a manoeuvre that brings all canoes together in one place. It's necessary to be careful when the canoes are rafted. Fingers, arms and even paddles can be harmed by the canoes banging into each other.
Just as we're about to continue on this leg, a rogue wave comes and raises one canoe and slams it down on the Sechelt canoe, right where Gibsons' realtor Gerry Hills is holding on to the side of the canoe. Concern arises that her fingers are broken. Instead of proper procedure being followed and the injured puller taken to the big Montreal canoe, the rescue boats are called and the canoe Gerry is in rushes to meet the first smaller rescue boat. Unfortunately the larger rescue boat comes at high speed and the resulting waves lift the canoe against the side of the first rescue boat. The canoe manages, just barely, not to tip, but several of the pullers end up badly frightened by the event. Later we find out Gerry's fingers are badly crushed but not broken.
That night a skippers' meeting is called to discuss the accident. Chris Cooper, an experienced skipper with his own adventure company, is distressed that proper protocol wasn't followed. Chris, as skipper of the big stable Montreal canoe, Spirit Dancer, and safety person for the group, wants the fleet to stay closer together. He worries that a spill or injury when the canoes are kilometres apart on the water will result in disaster. He urges the other skippers to stay close to shore where "it's not so far to swim and there's lots of interesting things to see." Chris is concerned about the group going through the Skook-umchuck if proper procedure isn't followed. Ultimately the group decides the canoes play by the rules or they travel by trailer.
Later that night there's a healing circle to let the Sechelt canoe know we share their concern for the injured puller. The pullers and skipper from the Sechelt canoe form an inner circle within our large one. Bobby Baker, skipper of the Circle of Eagles canoe, and Wes Nahanee, skipper from the Urban Native Youth Association canoe, sing a Squamish healing song. Several designated "witnesses" (a Native tradition where certain members of a group are called upon to officially witness what transpires) speak eloquently of how important is to look after each other.
"In the other world people will walk by someone who's fallen, literally and figuratively. We can't afford to do that on the water or in our lives. Take that back [to your other lives] and remember to help and support each other," Ed Hill encourages us.
Ed is no stranger to Pulling Together. He is the reason the journey takes place year after year. And although every year a different police force (this year the Vancouver Police Department) is responsible for doing all the planning, the pull is close to Ed's heart. He's a retired staff sergeant from Gibsons with strong ties to the Native community. The late Maggie Windsor of Bella Bella adopted him. Ed started Pulling Together in 2001. With the exception of this year, the journeys have been on the Fraser River. This year is the first trip entirely on the ocean. He's the reason many of us, including me, are on this trip. The trip turns out to be all he said it would be - and more.
Another policeman I have an opportunity to talk to at Saltery Bay is from the Vancouver Police Department. Ken Frail's beat has been the Downtown Eastside "where there's only two ways out for the residents - and one of them is death."
Ken said he always sees where people end up and this trip is important because he has a chance to see where they come from. One of the highlights of the trip for him happens when an elder at the Sliammon Reserve thanks the police for taking care of her people.
"You don't go into it (policing) expecting to be thanked and I can't say it's (the work) not demoralizing because sometimes it is. So it means a lot to have these people thank us," Ken said.
Anyone who thinks cops don't have any feelings should hear Ken when he talks about the vultures in the Downtown Eastside that prey on the ill, addicted and marginalized. He was involved in the recent move to crack down on hotel owners who bought welfare cheques for pennies from drug-starved addicts. The disgust in Ken's voice when he talks about the owners is very real.
Not all the cop stories are sad ones. Some of them are hilarious. One policeman shares a couple of incidents from days when he was young and new to the force. One concerns a drug bust where he, the new member, is told to break down the door. One of the experienced cops present urge the newbie to kick down the door. Which of course the new guy does only to end up with his foot stuck in the door. After much dancing around on one foot the poor guy's dignity was finally restore. Another time the storyteller relates his experience with a fancy truck with darkened windows. Believing the truck must belong to some low life the cop runs the licence plate. Unfortunately in his haste to catch the bad guys the cop transposes two of the numbers and the plate comes back with an alert to apprehend. The cop shouts at the occupants to come out with their arms up. Much to his surprise out steps a couple in their 70s who (luckily for our cop) end up delighted to be a part of such an exciting event.
Saltery Bay sticks in my mind for two other reasons. The first because this was the only location where our group was not made to feel welcome. There were signs on the outhouses advising us not to use them but use only the port-o-potties hauled in for the group. The private campground next door could only accommodate about 10 or so of the 120-member Pulling Together team for showers. And while most of that was understandable the general tone wasn't friendly. However the Citizens on Patrol who made us spaghetti in the middle of nowhere more than made up for the cool reception.
The second reason I remember Saltery Bay fondly is another goose bump moment. That night we were treated to a wonderful Highland piper. Fred MacLeod is a master of the instrument but the shining moment came when Wes Nahanee, Squamish drummer, joined Fred for Scotland the Brave. Together they make music to stir the soul.
Next installment -on to Egmont.
